Rogers, Henry Munroe, 1839-1937

Henry Munroe Rogers and Clara Kathleen Rogers amassed a substantial collection of theatrical and military memorabilia over the course of their long lives, mostly as part of their personal papers. In 1930, they donated these papers to Harvard College Library. The Rogers Memorial Room on the top floor of Widener Library was set aside to house the collection, and opened in 1935. The Rogers Memorial Room was relocated to the Harvard Theatre Collection's space in Lamont Library in 1949. Building renovations required that the room be vacated in 2006, but the Rogers Memorial Collection is still maintained as a unified whole.

Clara Kathleen Rogers (née Barnett) was born in England in 1844, the daughter of opera composer John Barnett. She received a musical education at the Leipzig Conservatory (Königliches Conservatorium der Musik zu Leipzig). Under the stage name of Clara Doria, she first appeared on stage in 1863 in Turin, followed by five years on the London concert stage. She came to America in 1871 as a member of the Parepa-Rosa Opera Company, and later settled in Boston as a concert soloist and vocal instructor. After her marriage in 1878 to Henry Munroe Rogers, she arranged weekly musicals at their Boston home, frequented by authors and musical artists. She was known to many of her friends as "Dodie." She was the author of The Philosophy of Singing (1893), English Diction in Song and Speech (1912), and Memories of a Musical Career (1919), and died in 1931.

Clara Kathleen Rogers (née Barnett) was born in England in 1844, the daughter of opera composer John Barnett. She received a musical education at the Leipzig Conservatory (Königliches Conservatorium der Musik zu Leipzig). Under the stage name of Clara Doria, she first appeared on stage in 1863 in Turin, followed by five years on the London concert stage. She came to America in 1871 as a member of the Parepa-Rosa Opera Company, and later settled in Boston as a concert soloist and vocal instructor. After her marriage in 1878 to Henry Munroe Rogers, she arranged weekly musicals at their Boston home, frequented by authors and musical artists.

Henry Munroe Rogers (1839-1937) was a Boston lawyer and a patron of local theater. He attended Harvard College (A.B. 1862; L.L.B. 1867) and served as a paymaster in the United States Navy during the Civil War. He became a successful Boston lawyer, and after his marriage in 1878 to the English opera singer Clara Kathleen Barnett, the couple entertained many theatrical, literary and musical luminaries in their home. At the time of his death in 1937, Rogers was the oldest living graduate of Boston Latin School and of Harvard University.

John Barnett was an English composer of vocal works. He first gained prominence as a singer on the London stage from 1813 to 1818, and then began a career as a composer, most notably of the operas The Mountain Sylph (1834) and Fair Rosamond (1837). In 1841, he removed from London to Cheltenham (England), where he established himself as a singing teacher.

Henry Munroe Rogers (1839-1937) was a Boston lawyer and a patron of local theater. He attended Harvard College (A.B. 1862; L.L.B. 1867) and served as a paymaster in the United States Navy during the Civil War. He became a successful Boston lawyer and a charter member in the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. After his marriage in 1878 to the English opera singer Clara Kathleen Barnett (daughter of the English composer John Barnett), the couple entertained many theatrical, literary and musical luminaries in their home.

Henry Munroe Rogers (1839-1937) was a Boston lawyer and a patron of local theater. He attended Harvard College (A.B. 1862; L.L.B. 1867) and served in the Civil War. He became a successful Boston lawyer. He was married to English opera singer Clara Kathleen Barnett (daughter of composer John Barnett) in 1878. The couple entertained many theatrical, literary and musical luminaries in their home. Henry Munroe Rogers and Clara Kathleen Rogers amassed a substantial collection of theatrical and military memorabilia over the course of their long lives, mostly as part of their personal papers. In 1930, they donated these papers to Harvard College Library.

In 1864, James R. (James Ripley) Osgood (1836-1892) became a partner in the publishing firm of Ticknor & Fields, which became Fields, Osgood & Co. in 1868 and James R. Osgood and Company in 1870. In 1878 the firm merged with Hurd & Houghton to became Houghton, Osgood, and Company. The firm was renamed Houghton, Mifflin and Company after Osgood departed in 1880. Osgood then formed another partnership named James R. Osgood and Company, which was active through his retirement in 1885. Henry Munroe Rogers served as executor of his estate in 1892. The engraver A. V. S. (Andrew Varick Stout) Anthony (1835-1906) supervised the wood engraving for book illustrations at James R. Osgood and Company, and later worked for Harper & Brothers. His wife Mary W. Anthony (ca. 1830-1913) shared his involvement in literary circles.

Henry Munroe Rogers (1839-1937) was a Boston lawyer and a patron of local theater. Born in Boston, he was one of six children of John Hicks Rogers and Lucy Catherine Smith. He attended Harvard College (A.B. 1862; L.L.B. 1867) and served as a paymaster in the United States Navy during the Civil War. He became a successful Boston lawyer and a charter member in the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. After his marriage in 1878 to the English opera singer Clara Kathleen Barnett (daughter of the English composer John Barnett), the couple entertained many theatrical, literary and musical luminaries in their home.

John Barnett (1802-1890) was an English composer of vocal works. He first gained prominence as a singer on the London stage from 1813 to 1818, and then began a career as a composer, most notably of the operas The Mountain Sylph (1834) and Fair Rosamond (1837). In 1841, he removed from London to Cheltenham (England), where he established himself as a singing teacher.

Barnett married Eliza E. Lindley in 1837, and had six children who survived to adulthood: Domenico Dragonetti Barnett (1841-1911); Rosamund Liszt Marie Francillon (1841-1910), wife of R.E. (Robert Edward) Francillon; Clara Kathleen Rogers (1844-1931), wife of Henry Munroe Rogers; Julius Lindley Barnett (1846-); Eugene Barnett (1853-1905); and Reginald Barnett (1853-1922).

In 1864, James R. (James Ripley) Osgood (1836-1892) became a partner in the publishing firm of Ticknor & Fields, which became Fields, Osgood & Co. in 1868 and James R. Osgood and Company in 1870. In 1878 the firm merged with Hurd & Houghton to became Houghton, Osgood, and Company. The firm was renamed Houghton, Mifflin and Company after Osgood departed in 1880. Osgood then formed another partnership named James R. Osgood and Company, which was active through his retirement in 1885. Henry Munroe Rogers served as executor of his estate in 1892.

The engraver A. V. S. (Andrew Varick Stout) Anthony (1835-1906) supervised the wood engraving for book illustrations at James R. Osgood and Company, and later worked for Harper & Brothers. His wife Mary W. Anthony (ca. 1830-1913) shared his involvement in literary circles.

Henry Munroe Rogers (1839-1937) was a Boston lawyer, best known as a patron of local theater. Born in Boston, he was one of six children of John Hicks Rogers and Lucy Catherine Smith. He attended Harvard College (A.B. 1862; L.L.B. 1867) and served as a paymaster in the United States Navy during the Civil War. He became a successful Boston lawyer and a charter member in the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. After his marriage in 1878 to the English opera singer Clara Kathleen Barnett (daughter of the English composer John Barnett), the couple entertained many theatrical, literary and musical luminaries in their home.

Henry and Clara had no children, and as none of his siblings had married, he left no close relatives. However, he was known to many by the affectionate nickname "Uncle Harry." In later years, Rogers was a regular speaker at patriotic events, where he often recounted the story of his private meeting with Abraham Lincoln in 1862. At the time of his death in 1937, Rogers was the oldest living graduate of Boston Latin School and of Harvard University.

Henry Munroe Rogers (1839-1937) was a Boston lawyer, best known as a patron of local theater. Born in Boston, he was one of six children of John Hicks Rogers and Lucy Catherine Smith. He attended Harvard College (A.B. 1862; L.L.B. 1867) and served as a paymaster in the United States Navy during the Civil War. He became a successful Boston lawyer and a charter member in the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. After his marriage in 1878 to the English opera singer Clara Kathleen Barnett (daughter of the English composer John Barnett), the couple entertained many theatrical, literary and musical luminaries in their home.

Henry Munroe Rogers and Clara Kathleen Rogers amassed a substantial collection of theatrical and military memorabilia over the course of their long lives, mostly as part of their personal papers. In 1930, they donated these papers to Harvard College Library, where they were first arranged by Edward Bass Hall and his mother Lillian Arvilla Hall of the Harvard Theatre Collection. The Rogers Memorial Room on the top floor of Widener Library was set aside to house the collection, and opened in 1935. The Rogers Memorial Room was relocated to the Harvard Theatre Collection's space in Lamont Library in 1949. Building renovations required that the room be vacated in 2006, but the Rogers Memorial Collection is still maintained as a unified whole.